530

6

au

Moncover all comparison fails between our Criminal population and that of the British Sales - So brand English thief is no doubt to mark him with indelible disgrace, and to effectually prevent his obtaining

honest employment in his

own

country. In the interest

seems undesirable,

of the thief therefore the practice

whatever

may

be said of it in the interest of the

employer. But the Chinese reprobate is known to be

generally of migratory habits. He comes and goes

to or from any district as want, the chances of -

the spasmodic energy of the local

mandarins drive him. Being what he is, a conspicuous

mark would not interfere prejudicially with his career

out of the Colony; and if his family

or any

village friends recognized its meaning it would not carry any stigma, but, I believe, would rather bring hover as showing him to be a victim of the "foreign

devils

7. I think the foregoing arguments sufficiently show the utility of the Ordinance providing for the branding and flogging of criminals

I now

accordingly turn to that for the Criminal examination of prisoners, which, as it owes its

origin

to causes

cognate to these which induced

me to

lay the former

measure

before the Council,

may conveniently be treated in the same despatch.

8. Upon this Ordinance I do not feel that I

can

readily add any lengthened observations

to these given in the

report, which have

*

however,

· Acting Attorney Generals

my

remark that

that during

the course

of my

administration of this Government I have become daily

much

more convinced of the craftness of

our criminal procedure to the circumstances

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